Soccer Fans Warned to Take out Insurance

December 9 - Excitement is mounting for the upcoming World Cup tournament in South Africa next year, and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the country to watch 32 nations battle it out against one another for the title.

Foreign visitors are being warned to take all the necessary steps to ensure that they remain safe and protected during their trip, including travel insurance.

The British Foreign Office, for example, has issued advice for all football fans and is advising travelers to start planning and booking well in advance.

On its newly launched website "World Cup South Africa 2010", the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urged visitors to familiarize themselves with the country and its customs as a first step to a safe journey.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister, Chris Bryant said: "South Africa is a wonderfully diverse country and promises our fans a great experience next summer. However, it is crucial that those planning to travel to the region are aware of what measures they should take to stay safe."

"Visiting our FCO website to research the destination, as well as taking out appropriate travel insurance in case something does go wrong can make the difference between an experience to remember and one to forget," he added.

The website advises visitors to check out the transport options in South Africa before travelling, and to get to know the different rules of the road.

Visitors are also told to visit their doctors and get all necessary vaccinations before their trip.

Unfortunately, scams may be part of the World Cup experience and visitors are warned not to get caught buying fake or invalid tickets.